Gladiolus Mixed Colours

Gladioli Mixed Colours are a triumph of tall summer flowers. Long spikes of 75cm tall filled with large frilled blooms of strong colour. Yellow, red, purple, pink and white gladioli corms randomly mixed in our warehouse.

These flowers are an excellent cut flower that grow well in the UK over summer, this is why you can get them much cheaper than many other cut flowers in the UK. Here in Lincolnshire we have fields and fields of them to supply florists all over the country. Unfortunately the bulbs don’t keep like daffodils over winter, we import our bulbs from Holland.

Growing Gladioli

Where do I plant gladioli bulbs?

Gladioli require good drainage and plenty of sun. For best results grow in moist, but well-drained soil, in full sun.

When do I plant gladioli bulbs?

Plant gladioli bulbs in spring, there’s no need to soak them beforehand. You can plant in pots from March if keep them in a frost-free spot, or directly into the ground from May. You might get away with planting gladioli bulbs as late as July – but they might not flower before the frosts come. You can stagger their flowering by planting a handful a week from March onwards to extend the display. Those planted in pots can simply be plunged into borders as they come into flower.

Plant 15cm deep in moist but well-drained soil. In heavier soils, you can add a handful of horticultural grit to aid drainage.

How do I care for gladioli?

Water well during the growing season and stake before the flower spike emerges. While in flower, give your gladioli tomato or comfrey feed every couple of weeks.

Can I leave gladioli bulbs in the ground?

The traditional method of growing gladioli bulbs in the UK is to dig up the corms in autumn and overwinter them in frost-free conditions. For tender varieties, and in colder parts of the country, it will be best to lift them. For hardier varieties, or in the south of the UK, you will probably get away with covering them with a thick mulch in autumn. Divide congested clumps every few years,. You’ll notice that they produce a lot of bulblets, you can keep these to grow on for future years but it does take quite a bit of effort.